Manama tells Tehran to cease interfering in its domestic affairs

Published: 13:48 July 20, 2015

Manama: Bahrain has summoned the top Iranian diplomat currently in the country to protest against statements attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“The Foreign Ministry summoned today evening the Iranian Embassy acting charge d’affaires and handed him an official protest memorandum following the recent statements made by Ali Khamenei against the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the ministry said in a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

Khamenei on Saturday said during the Eid prayers that whether the deal reached between Tehran and world powers is approved or disapproved, Iran will never stop supporting its friends in the region and the “oppressed” people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon.

However, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Abdullah Abdul Lateef Abdullah said that “the statement represented a flagrant and unacceptable interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs, a blatant encroachment on its sovereignty and independence and a violation of the UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) principles”.

The official stressed the necessity for Iran “to put an end immediately to such statements and concentrate, instead, on improving the living conditions of the friendly Iranian people”.

The undersecretary “underlined the need to commit to the principles of good neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to respect its sovereignty and independence and to abide fully by the international norms that govern relations between sovereign countries”.

Bahrain will “take all measures that protect its interests, maintain its security and stability and guarantee the safety of its people”.